Forgive Me
by WHPIAR
Summary: There was a time when Ritsu wasn't so appologetic. Then a traumatic childhood encounter with Akito changed his outlook on life. With help from a friend, Ritsu may just experience a time similar to that before the traumatic experience.
1. Happy Birthday

I like Ritsu. Beginning the series I didn't think I liked him but my love grew and the spastic monkey may just be my favourite character, save for the Mabudatchi Trio.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fruit's Basket.

* * *

Like any small child Ritsu liked birthday parties and none could be more fun than his own. He would be turning eight. At his party some classmates were to be invited. When we say classmates, we actually mean the entire class because it is rude to invite only a few people from the class and leave everyone else out of the festivities.

The guest were arriving and piling their gifts upon a table. A cake was sitting on a separate table, looking delicious with eight candles in it, waiting to be lit.

At this time Ritsu, his mother, and his father were all living "outside".

While playing an innocent game of duck duck goose, Akito arrived. His arrival was unexpected but Ritsu's parents bowed and offered the very young head of family to join in on the games (you must remember, Akito couldn't be even 6 1/2 years old at this time). Akito refused but lurked pointlessly in a corner until the children got around to opening gifts.

As you may know, small children get jealous, and can be superstitious.

Ritsu was half way though opening the gifts from his classmates. One of the bigger presents (from his grandma, now deceased) was a camera. Not a really expensive fancy thing, just a cheap one where you have to develop film (like in the olden days).

Ritsu happily started taking pictures with it right away. Akito exploded into rage and jealousy.

"Why are you getting so many nice things? You're not nice so why are you getting nice things? You are a bad person! A bad person!" Akito screamed out, scaring some of the guests.

Ritsu started whimpering. "I'm sorry!" he cried.

"You should be sorry! Do you know why you're cursed? Because of that camera! Every time you take a picture with it, each one of us gets more and more cursed!" Akito yelled, blaming Ritsu.

Ritsu's guests all ran outside. Why? It just seemed convenient and a smart thing to do, even to some of the other children's parents who were sticking around for the party. Ritsu was sobbing.

Shigure (who had come with Akito) tried to restrain the young, raging child. Akito pushed him away. "Sick, unworthy, ungrateful child! You don't deserve to live!" Akito pushed Ritsu over.

What could Ritsu do but just lay on the floor, sobbing? He nose was dripping, his face was red, his eyes puffy, and the tears continued to stream down the face of the child.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I don't deserve to live." Ritsu sobbed shaking his head which was on the floor at Akito's feet. "I apologize. Please forgive me. I'm so sorry." His voice was a whisper and his breath came in gasps.

Akito's attitude suddenly changed. He bent down to his knees and stroked Ritsu's hair. "It's alright Ritsu-chan. I forgive you." he said sweetly.

Ritsu looked up at Akito. His hair was somewhat stuck to his face from where the tears were streaming. "You do?" he said with a small smile, his breath still coming in gasps.

Akito screamed, "No, Stupid! You're to blame for everything! If only you were never born!" He smacked Ritsu in the face, hard. Akito jumped up from where he was crouched by Ritsu and pushed his cake off of the table. He also started grabbing the gifts given to Ritsu and started throwing them against things.

Ritsu moved his huddled form into a corner and couldn't stop sobbing. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me. I'm sorry."

Akito picked up the camera given to him by his grandmother and chucked it at Ritsu's head. Thankfully, only being a small boy with bad aim, Akito missed. He did manage to hit Ritsu in the head with something equally threatening which resulted in blood dripping down the boys head.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Ritsu kept saying over and over. "It's my fault. Forgive me. Forgive me. I'm sorry."

* * *

This is only chapter 1. I do not plan on this being a one-shot. If any of you fine readers have ever read any of my other stories you are probably thinking very lowly of me at the moment because I'm starting another fic rather than finishing any of the other that I have started. I am thinking lowly of myself as well. I look forward to the day when I finish one of my fanfics but I just can't finish! Not because I'm running out of things to say, there is just so much that can be said! Like I said, this is not a one-shot. I repeat: this is not a one-shot.

This is WHPIAR... signing off.


	2. Yakisoba

Does Ritsu live in a dorm?

Disclaimer: I do not own Fruit's Basket.

* * *

A professor dismissed his class. It was just after noon and Ritsu had two hours before his next and final class for the day. 

He headed towards a line waiting for food. As Ritsu stood in line he observed the menu, trying to figure out what he should have for lunch that day.

"What can I get you?" the waitress asked, holding an empty dish to serve him.

With little hesitation Ritsu said, "Yakisoba, please."

The waitress handed him the tray and Ritsu moved down the line. He heard the boy behind him say, "May I have yakisoba too, please?"

"Sorry, that was the last of it." the waitress replied.

Ritsu turned around in a flash, "Please! Take mine!" he said and shoved the tray into the other boys face. Ritsu dropped his books

The other boy chuckled, "No, it's alright." He bend down and picked up Ritsu's fallen books.

Ritsu started yelling and dropped to his knees, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry you had to get down and pick up my books! I insist, take my yakisoba as payment for my foolishness!"

"It's ok, Miss! Where are you sitting?" he yelled with a partial smile on his face.

Ritsu froze, "What?"

The boy repeated himself, "Where are you sitting?" he said slower.

"Oh." Ritsu averted his eyes and masterly got to his feet in his dress. "Under the tree over there."

They both paid for their lunches and the boy carried Ritsu's books to where they both sat down beneath the tree. The boy's name was Daiki. Daiki had short black hair, big hands, and a dashing smile. They talked for a bit about school.

"When is your next class, Ritsu?"

"Oh, um... at 2:30." he timidly replied. "I'm going to walk back to my dorm and work on some homework, if you don't mind." he got up to leave.

"Ritsu!" Daiki called out and got to his feet, grabbing his books, "May I walk you to your dorm?"

"No, no, no! Please don't trouble yourself over me! I'm sorry!" Ritsu said apologetically.

"Ritsu!"

He jumped when he yelled his name," What?" Ritsu asked.

"I want to walk you to your dorm."

"Oh..." Ritsu said, slightly confused. They began to walk.

When they arrived at Ritsu's dorm Daiki asked, "You live alone?"

Ritsu vigorously nodded his head, "Akito doesn't want me living with anyone else."

"Who's Akito?" Daiki asked, "Your boyfriend?"

Ritsu froze. "I'm sorry I made you think that." he said softly. "I'm so sorry."

"It's fine." Daiki said somewhat obliviously while he looked at the pictures Ritsu had set up along the windowsill.

"Akito is the head of the Sohma family." Ritsu explained to him.

"Head of the family? Wow, he must be pretty influential."

"He is." Ritsu said.

"Are these your friends in the pictures?" Daiki asked and picked up one of the frames.

"Yes. That is Kagura and that is Tohru." Ritsu said pointing to the two girls in the picture. Ritsu picked up a different photo, "That's Hatori, Shigure, and Ayame. Ayame makes dresses."

Daiki nodded, "Is that Sohma Shigure? The author?"

Ritsu smiled and nodded, "Yes, he is a fantastic writer!"

"Did that one sew the dress your wearing now?" Daiki asked and pointed to Ayame in the picture.

"Oh no!" Ritsu vigorously shook his head, "Ayame's dresses are far too perfect. I would be honored to wear one but I am not that honored. I'm sorry."

A voice rang from down the hall, "Riiiiiiichaaaaannn! Riiiiiiiichaaaaaaaaaan!" The voice got closer and closer and Kagura stumbled into the room.

She stopped short when she saw Daiki and Ayame together, "Oh... I'm so sorry. I'll come back later." she said with wide eyes and a confused smile.

"Kagura, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I made you run all the way down here and then you don't even want to stay. I'm sorry!"

"No problem, Ritsu! I don't want to disturb you and your... company." Kagura said eyeing Daiki.

Daiki bowed, "A pleasure to meet you, Kagura-san. You may call me Daiki."

Shyness and pleasantness overtook Kagura, "Oh, the pleasure is all mine, Daiki-kun." she giggled.

"I'm sorry, Kagura. Should I make some tea for your visit?" Ritsu offered, silent tears streaming.

"No, no. It's alright. I just came to tell you that Ayame wants to see you." Kagura said nonchalantly.

"What?" Ritsu said with wide eyes.

"Oh, um... Ayame needs to finish a dress but Mine can't do it because it's really hard so they need someone to wear it while Ayame works on it and your the perfect size so Ayame called me because he didn't know your number and he wants you down at the shop whenever you have a moment!" Kagura explained quickly.

There was a pause in the room, "You should go now. Congratulations on being asked by Ayame-san like that." Daiki said with a smile.

"I couldn't go now, I-I-I... uhh-"

Daiki insisted, "Go now. You would hate to make Ayame-san wait all day for you, right?"

"I'm sorry, but you're here. I can't leave a guest. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Well, I have class in fifteen minutes so I should get going." Daiki explained.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I don't want to make you late. I'm sorry."

"Richan, you should go to Ayame. You have time right now before your next class, right?" Kagura asked.

"Sure you do!" Daiki put in.

"I-I-I'm sorry. I-I- guess I should go?"

"Yes." Kagura and Daiki said in unison. "We'll walk you to the bus." Daiki added.

"Oh, no. You can't do that. It would be far too much trouble."

Daiki and Kagura each grabbed one of Ritsu's arms and led him out of the building towards the bus stop.

"I'm sorry for making you come all this way. I apologize."

"See you later Richan!" said Kagura as she pushed Ritsu onto the bus.

Daiki waved at his new friend with a smile.

Kagura laughed, "Isn't he something?" she said to Daiki as they watched the bus roll away.

Daiki laughed with her, "...he?" Surely Kagura made an error is speaking.

She turned to face him with a straight face, "He..."

Daiki's face grew pail, then red. "I-I-..I could have sworn... uh..."

"You're not the first to misinterpret the way he dresses, trust me." Kagura patted his shoulder understandingly.

"Does... um... uh... why?"

"He feels more comfortable in women's clothing then he does male clothing." Kagura explained.

"...does... s--he ever wear men's clothing?"

"At times, sure."

They walked in silence. Kagura stuck with Daiki for a while in case he had any further questions.

"Kagura?"

"Yes, Daiki-kun?"

"...are you a boy too?"

"What?!" Kagura laughed and hit Daiki over the head.

* * *

There is chapter 2. I hope someone reads this and reviews because I haven't gotten any reviews yet which discourages me greatly. Happy 2007 everyone. 

This is WHPIAR... signing off.


End file.
